The generation of mankind occupying the terra firma passes for the most destructive. We have been irresponsible in our management of the environment doing so as though nothing is at stake.
Resources are exhaustible especially when sustainable management practices are not adopted.
Our flora are the most abused as we hurriedly fell trees for varied purposes; as we do we ignore the importance of planting replacements. In the end, we are left with vast land bereft of trees and contributing inadvertently towards desertification especially, for areas close to the arid zones of the sub-region.
The repercussion of this on global warming is palpable.
Brazil has been in the news in recent times for her irresponsible depletion of its forest cover, the Amazon, which contributes about twenty percent of the earth’s oxygen, the experts say.
In all these, trees stand tall in the equation. It is for this reason therefore, that Ghana has embarked upon an ambitious project of planting trees across the country, the first one having seen us plant five million. We do not know how many have survived.
The theme for this year’s ‘Green Ghana Day’ which has been set for June 10 is appropriate and reflective. It indeed brings into focus the fact that we are losing our greenness, the consequences of which are dire and global.
We must imbibe in our children knowledge about the criticalness of the subject so that they grow up loving trees. We are struggling to have our compatriots love trees because many were not introduced to the subject until now.
In spite of the importance of trees and therefore the greenness from the flora, we are quick to seek shelter when the scorching sun bears so much on us and complain when the rains are late in coming.
We do not know the relationship between rains and the flora. Had most of us known this we would have behaved differently to the subject of greening.
Even as we are excited about yet another attempt at greening the country, we demand that some differences must be seen in the June 10 one.
‘Mobilising For A Greener Future’ cannot be overshadowed by an alternative. After releasing such a powerful theme, it behooves upon the relevant agencies such as the Forestry Commission, among others, to seek better ways of ensuring the survivability of the subject, as much as the trees so planted.
It is not enough to end the project after the fanfare of planting. The fanfare is alright because it throws light on what would ordinarily be shrouded in a veil of darkness. That notwithstanding, monitoring is critical.
The MMDAs must be made to own the trees planted in their jurisdictions and held accountable for drawbacks. Indeed, their performance should be tied to the survival of the trees.